The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-06-03


Unite our hearts unite our hands,
In strong ndissoluble bands
And may the past outlay of blood
Cement new ties of brotherhood"
Notwithstanding we should forgive,
still the warm place in our hearts and
sympathies must and should be reserved
for the union soldiers. Why? Because
our great Republic, the hope of freedom
and self-government throughout the
world, had reach the point of supreme
peril. The union of these states was in
danger, and the armies of the gigantic
rebellion came forth with broad blades
and bloody hands to destroy the founda-
ton of American society for these
reasons you gave your money, your SER
vice, your husband, son, brother, lover ;
for these reasons these brave ones whose
graves we decorate to-day flung them
selves into the yawning chasm, where
cannon roared and bullets whistled, and
fought and fell for their country. We
are frequently asked in the name of
patriotism to forget the merits of this
struggle, and to remember with equal
admiration those who struck at the
nations life and those who struck to
save it ; those who fought for slavery
and disunion, and those who fought for
liberty and union. [ am no minister of
malice I would not strike the fallen.
1 would not repel the repentant, but
may my right hand forget its cunning,
and my tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth, when I forget the difference De-
tween the parties to that terrible, bloody
and protracted conflict. I am but using
the language of my superior in every
thing, except color land nearly my equal
in that, Frederick Douglas, when say
that if we ought to forget war which
has filled our land with widows and
orphans, which has made stumps Of the
very flower of youth, sent them on the
journey of life armless, legless, manned
and mutilated, which has piled up
debt heavier than mountains of gold and
swept uncounted thousands of men into
bloody graves and planted misery at
million hearthstones--I say if such
war is to be forgotten, 1 ask in the name
of all things sacred, what shall men re-
member?
The speaker said, while he was in
favor of forgiving the rank and file of
the Southern army who fought against
the Union, he was not in favor of for
giving the leaders and instigators of the
rebellion-men who had sworn to sus-
tain the constitution and laws of the
United States, and afterwards attempted
to destroy the Union, and he was entire
ly opposed to allowing them to occupy
seats in the Senate or House of Repre-
sentatives at Washington.
The speaker here alluded to the battle
Mr.. O'Brien has been waging in Canada
in the cause of liberty, saying the Irish
people were always lovers Of liberty, and
he hoped the people of this country
would unite and assist them in obtain
ing their liberty.
The essence and significance of our
devotions here to-day are not to be
found in the fact that the men whose
remains fill these graves were brave in
battle, for if we met simply to show our
sense of the worth of bravery, we should
find enough to kindle admiration on both
sides. But we are here TO applaud man.
ly courage only as it has been displayed
in noble cause. We must never for
get that the loyal soldiers flung them
selves between the nation and the
nations destroyers.
IF to-day we have county not boil
ing in the agonies of blood if now we
have united, peaceful country no long
er cursed by the cruel system Of human |
bondage if the American name is no
longer kissing and by-word to the
earth; if our cherished flag
now floats in triumph over free and |
united people in every quarter of the
land, and our country has before it, |
which believe it has, a long and glori- |
BUS career of liberty, justice and civiliza-
ton, we are indebted for it all to the |
noble army who rest in the honored |
graves of our land.
Long wave the flag they bore resplend-
emit with liberty and union. God bless
our Union soldiers ! God bless our
native land
The speaker was frequently applaud
ed during the delivery of his address.
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